Aether
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: There is a breach in the Forge of Creation. Aggregor is plotting to become more powerful than ever. He is searching for the final powers that he lacks. Can Ben, Gwen, and Kevin stop him in time? Gwevin!
1. Chapter 1

**Guess who? Did ya'll miss your fav Gwevin Prophet? I thought so. I missed my fav Gwevin Prophet too... The great big mallet of inspiration just hasn't been hitting on Ben 10 at all for the past few...months? Anyway, the silence is finally broken with what might be my best work yet. It's different from my other Gwevins in that it has more plot combined with the fluff and that it's gonna be a full-on Chapter story. Surprised? So am I. I have problems finishing Chapter stories. So far, the only one I can see myself completing is my Mending the Breach GR fic. Therefore, I'll need LOTS of reviews from my old dedicated fans if I'm gonna keep my reawakening Ben 10 fix going. Got it? Okay, this story takes place after the events of episodes 10 and 11. Aggregor has the powers of fire, water, earth, wind, and electricity. He still lacks two key ingredients that will hasten his entrance into the Forge of Creation. Ben, Gwen, and Kevin set out to stop him from attaining these last two powers. We got awesomeness, adventure, and Gwevin (of course)! One more thing: KEVIN KISSED GWEN ON THE CHEEK! Sorry, I found that totally adorable. Okay, on to my story...**

_It is the Beginning of all time. A single ember is floating in infinite blackness. Its color is indistinguishable as it is changing so rapidly. It is red. Now it is blue. Green. Another color unable to be seen by human eyes. Void. Light. Darkness. Fire. Water. A hand is positioned over the flame, completely invisible in the darkness. Whether this is because of the fact that it is clear, or the fact that no one is viewing it, is uncertain. The fire is growing bigger, brighter. Images are flashing. There is an explosion of black and white. Stars are floating all across the empty blackness. The bearer of the hand can see all of this in the great fire that is burning in a great silver basin. It has always been there, in that same place. In the purplish-black fire, white sparks are spreading out, illustrating a map. The first pieces are being sent out..._

_A pair of hands reach into an old satchel. The satchel is as old as the ageless fire. The fire is being fueled by a pair of bellows held in another pair of hands that are always working them. The fire keeps growing bigger. It was always as big as it is now. And again. And again. The other pair of hands is throwing a handful of sparkling yellow dust into the fire. The first stars are being created. They have already been made. The planets that circle were always there._

"_It is time for this planet to die." A hollow voice echoes. Then it fades. No one had spoken. Silence is all that is known. In human time, it is 10456 AD. It has been this year for as long as the inhabitants of the ageless forge can remember. The planet in question is already dead. Its inhabitants had called it "Earth"._

"_This galaxy is now born." A deep voice touches the ears of all around. The bellows are working. The only sound is the puff of air. Then there is silence, only silence. There is always silence, always noise. That galaxy has been in existence for millenniums. Some call it the Milky Way._

"_Someone is trying to enter." The ever-present voice speaks before being instantly forgotten. There is no sound. The year is 2010, as it always has been..._

…...

"I can't believe this!" Kevin kicked angrily at a nearby metal rod, earning him a bruise on his toe. "We lost to him again! He has a fourth of the map already and he barely even blinked." He leaned tiredly against his car. "The way things are going, he'll be in the Forge of Creation by lunchtime."

"Don't say that, Kevin." Gwen put a soothing hand on his shoulder. His tense muscles relaxed instantly. "We just need to be more vigilant. Every Plumber in the Universe is working to stop him. He'll be hard put to get past them!"

"Don't kid yourself, Gwen." Kevin sighed. "In case you haven't noticed, the Plumbers have been kinda weak lately."

"Eh..." Gwen paused, unsure on what to say to that. "Well...there's strength in numbers, right?"

Ben facepalmed. "Face it, Gwen. We're doomed!"

Gwen's shoulders sagged. "Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Kevin looked off into the distance. "It's weird...seeing Aggregor as he is now... He seems so...drunk with power and strength. I was crazy back in the day, but...I was never proud of what I was. He's just...not normal."

"Indeed, young Levin." A familiar British voice spoke behind him.

"AH!" Kevin jumped up and spun around. Gwen and Ben also flinched a little in surprise. Leaning against the car, an expression of solemn calculating on his face, was Paradox. "Don't DO that!" Kevin gasped, taking a deep breath.

"Sorry. I need to have my fun once every few decades, don't I?" Paradox flexed his fingers and looked around at the young Plumbers. "I was just sifting through the future in the Forge of Creation. What I found was most discouraging."

"Can you tell us, or are you just gonna drop vague hints?" Ben asked.

"I'm allowed to tell you only a little: Aggregor doesn't have everything yet. He needs the last two powers that he doesn't possess. You must stop him from gaining those powers. Farewell!" Paradox walked through the door and vanished as suddenly as he had appeared.

"Hold up!" Kevin ran toward the door. "You didn't tell us anything!"

"What else is new?" Ben muttered, falling back on the hood of Kevin's car and closing his eyes. Kevin turned toward him, looking murderous.

"One dent, and you're dead!" He snarled.

…...

"Figures Ben would go off on some mission and leave us with the boring stuff..." Kevin muttered, picking up another book and flipping through the yellowed pages. "Why are you looking through your spell books?"

Gwen frowned and turned the page of the book she was working on. "There's something familiar about Aggregor's obsession with those five particular aliens. If I can figure it out, I can determine what he's missing."

"I'd say that the answer is with species knowledge." Kevin patted his own book and pressed the buttons on his mini computer. "Whatever aliens are the strongest are obviously what he's looking for."

"Not sure what's right..." Gwen pushed her book aside and leaned back against the soft sofa cushions. "My head hurts so bad...how long have we been going?"

"About three hours." Kevin glanced at his wrist watch before shoving his own book away. "I'd say we deserve a break."

"For once, we are in total agreement." Gwen groaned, massaging her temples. "I could use a huge cup of hot chocolate..." The pillows shifted as she felt Kevin moving closer to her. Despite her mental fatigue, a light surge of electricity ran up her spine. She moved her hands away from her face and found herself looking into a pair of onyx jewels. "Wh-What is it, K-Kevin?" She whispered.

Kevin grinned roguishly. "Who needs hot chocolate?" He purred into her ear, moving a hand softly up her side. "I had other ideas."

"Yeah?" Gwen felt her lips turn up in a flirtatious smile. "What were you going for?"

Kevin chuckled quietly before pressing his cool, rough lips lightly to hers. Immediately, he felt a flood of warmth in his chest as he felt Gwen's pleased response. 'Why don't we get to do this every day?' He wondered in the back of his head. The answer followed almost instantly: 'Oh yeah...Ben. Well, no matter...he's gone now...' He felt Gwen touch her hands lovingly to his chest, nimble fingers tracing his toned muscles. He broke the kiss and proceeded to Gwen's neck, nuzzling her until she was in a comfortable lying-down position. "Don't let me stop until you're totally relaxed, okay?"

"Kay..." Gwen reached up and gently caressed his face, her eyes clouding over with that familiar daze. Kevin closed his eyes and a blissful smile spread across his face as he leaned into her hands. 'He's almost like a puppy...' Gwen thought to herself, touching her lips softly to his forehead. **(Well, it's true! He kinda is like a puppy!)** She shifted her position so that Kevin could lie down next to her. She closed her eyes, aware of nothing but Kevin's warm arms wrapping around her waist.

…...

HOOOOOOOOONK!

"WHOA!"

"YIKE!"

Gwen leaped from the sofa, mana forming on her hands. There was a crash as Kevin accidentally jumped against the back of the couch, knocking it over along with himself.

"OW!"

"Kevin, are you-" Gwen was cut off by the sound of hysterical laughing. She narrowed her eyes. "Ben, you are SO dead!" She spun around to face a red-faced, airhorn holding Ben.

"I'm s-sorry." He sputtered, doubling over. "I j-just _had_ to!" He sat down on a nearby armchair. "You should have seen the looks on your faces!"

"C'mere, Tennyson. I'll show you a funny look that can go on _your_ face." Kevin was standing up, looking rather dark and menacing.

Ben's laughter faded immediately. 'Oh boy...' "Uh...Gwen...could you..." He looked endearingly at his cousin who, to his horror, merely smiled.

"I'm just his girlfriend, Ben. I can't control his actions." She turned her attention on righting the sofa while, out of the corner of her eye, she watched a morphing Kevin chase Ben outside.

"NO! PUT DOWN TH E MACE! OH SNAP!"

A flash of green.

"JETRAY!"

There was a whoosh of air and the sound of Kevin's shouting. "COME BACK HERE YOU COWARD! DON'T YOU FLY AWAY FROM ME!"

A few seconds later, Kevin stomped back into the house, rubbing his head and fuming. "I'm gonna kill him..." He snarled, plopping down grumpily on the couch.

Gwen smiled warmly and hugged him from behind the sofa. "I think this is the opposite of relaxing. Want to get back to work, Caleovigor?"

Kevin's features softened instantly as he looked up at Gwen's emerald eyes. "What's that mean?" He asked, reaching up to touch her cheek.

"While you're looking at alien species, check some Anodite phrases." She gave him a playful kiss on the cheek before jumping over the back of the sofa and landing next to him. "Let's see now..." She pulled out yet another book and began flipping through the pages. Next her, Kevin was reluctantly pulling out his handheld alien dictionary.

"I don't get it..." Kevin grumbled as he looked at the Necrofriggian section for the thousandth time. "What more could Aggregor need? I mean, he's got Bivalvin's water powers and armor, Galapagus's wind and flight, P'andor's radiation, Andreas's earthquake powers and strength-"

"Kevin! That's it!" Gwen gasped, throwing down her book. "That's the key!" She started rooting around for another book. "Come on...I know it's here..."

"What're you looking for?" Kevin asked, utterly bewildered.

"My book on the Elements! I don't know why I didn't check it sooner! Here we go!" Gwen pulled out a small black book and flipped to the Index. "Yes! Here we go... The four elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire." She held up the book for Kevin to see.

"Huh..." Kevin looked curiously at the picture, which showed an arrangement of four different items: A candle at the bottom, a stone at the top, a seashell on the left, and a feather on the right. "Looks magical to me...what's the deal?"

"Aggregor has obtained unity of the four elements! That's what makes him so powerful?"

"But what about Ra'ad? Electricity isn't on here."

Gwen frowned and flipped a few pages. "Ah!" She put a finger on the page triumphantly when she gazed at a picture of a woman holding a ball of lightning in the palm of her hand. "Electricity is synonymous with energy. That must have been where Ra'ad came in."

Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, your guess is as good as mine. What of it? If he has everything already, what more could he want?"

"Void." Gwen replied immediately. "That's the fifth element. It exists outside of the physical realm."

"The closest thing we have to that is a Celestialsapien, or Alien X." Kevin nodded slowly. "Makes sense."

"Not quite..." Gwen flipped through a few more pages. "As strong as Aggregor is, he wouldn't stand a chance against a Celestialsapien, and Ben never uses Alien X. There's gotta be another way to obtain Void..." She glanced at the Index. "Besides, Paradox said that Aggregor is after _two_ things."

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Kevin's Plumber badge was starting to go off. "Hello?" He pressed the button on the side. A hologram of Ben appeared. Kevin scowled. "Too scared to come back here, Tennyson? I oughta-"

"Hold up, Kevin! Listen, Aggregor's at it again! He just attempted an attack on the planet Fulguro! We gotta try to follow him while the trail's still hot! Get the new Rustbucket going! Now! I'll meet you there!" Ben's image disappeared.

Kevin turned toward Gwen. "Bring the book. We'll see what we can figure out when we get there!"

…...

"_Supernova." The hollow, all-known voice rings out. A white spot is exploding with a crack, sending red and blue sparks from the navy fire. The voice is gone. There was no voice. There was never any star. The fire continues burning. Continues._

_Always._

_Constant._

_Present._

_Never anything else._

_Hands throw orange and mahogany logs onto the fire, making it ever bigger. It was never any smaller. The logs were always there. No hands had touched them._

_And the bellows continue to blow..._

**What do you think? Good? Sucky? Rusty? Gimme feedback! I gotta say that I like the way I described the Forge of Creation. Is it confusing? Good! That's what I was going for! After a few days in the Forge of Creation, Paradox becomes understandable! Anyway, review but don't flame. This is my first Ben 10 fic in ages. Your fav Gwevin Prophet is now retiring to the kitchen! Hasta la vista!**

**PS- Free cookies for whoever can figure out what Caleovigor means!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ah...the questions that surround the newest episode... How does Kevin swim and float when coated with metal? Why was Pyke suddenly able to breathe when Ben started pulling the planet together? Will we ever see that cute little fishy again? Who knows? OH! I have a Prophecy for ya'll! I read on Wikipedia that in the Season finale, Ben is furious at Gwen for recruiting Darkstar's help against an unlikely and their most powerful enemy that they cannot bring themselves to face. Gee...who could that enemy- KEVIN! Seriously, do they NEED to be any more obvious? My main question is how this will come to pass? Will Aggregor turn out to be Kevin's dear ol' dad? Family member? Will he offer Kevin power? Will he force Kevin to join him? Or will Kevin absorb too much and go mad again? I suppose we'll just have to wait and watch. On to Chapter 2!**

_The fifth water planet is meant to boil now. A faceless forge-keeper touches a small piece of hot metal to the blue image in the fire. The blue turns to white as the water froths. It has always been boiling. The creatures have always been dying. Dead. The metal is placed next to the midnight fire. It has always been there. The Earth year is 1046,_

_The thirty seventh water planet is beginning to disintegrate. This isn't through any actions of the silent, motionless forge-keepers. Someone had removed its core. The planet is named Pisces. It was never whole. Now it is turning green as something pulls it back together. It has always been as it is now._

_The universe continues to expand. Its size is ever constant..._

…...

"Caleovigor...Caleovigor..." Kevin ran his finger across the touchscreen of his Alien Encyclopedia. "Caleovigor...where is it?" He murmured to himself, frowning in confusion.

"What're you looking at, Kev?" Ben asked, looking over Kevin's shoulder.

"Just some stuff..." Kevin muttered evasively, quickly going back to the index.

"While you have that thing out, why don't you show us what Fulguro is like? Maybe give us a heads up on the inhabitants." 'Was that a collection of Anodite phrases?'

"Kay." He scrolled down and pressed the Fulguro link. "Let's see..." He stared curiously at the screen. "I've never really looked at Fulguro before... It's a pretty distant planet. Apparently the whole area is made of reflective crystal. Its moons are so bright and close, it's light even when it's night time."

"What about the natives?" Gwen looked over Kevin's other shoulder.

"Fulgurans..." Kevin pressed another button and looked at the image that appeared. To his surprise, it was an old painting of a tapestry. It showed a white horse with cloven hooves, a long tail, and a horn. There was a shackle around its neck and a fence all around it. "That looks like..."

"A unicorn." Gwen finished, leaning in more. "Why isn't there an actual photo?"

"Fulgurans don't appear on camera, according to the description." Kevin scrolled down. "They're where the unicorn legends come from. Apparently, they absorb energy from the sun and moons." He turned to Ben. "What exactly happened?"

"I got a weird hologram message on the Omnitrix. Whoever was talking didn't appear. All I saw was a blurred starlike thing. A deep, male voice said that Aggregor tried to kidnap one of their Princes. The other Fulgurans were able to fight him off so he couldn't take him."

"They were strong enough to fight off Aggregor?" Kevin nodded his head in approval. "Impressive."

"Very..." Gwen whispered thoughtfully before picking up her book. 'I wonder...' She flipped over to the page describing the Void element and her brows furrowed in concentration.

"We're here!" Ben looked out the window as the Autopilot apparatus started beeping. "Time to go manual, Kevin!"

"Gotcha." Kevin slid back into his seat and started pressing the control buttons. "Coming in for a landing." A blinding light suddenly pierced the window. Kevin scrunched his eyes shut. "Um...what's going on?"

"Oh!" Ben snapped his eyes closed and started digging in his pocket. "I almost forgot! The planet is so bright that it could blind you!"

Kevin groaned. "Now you tell me!"

"I would think that that would be the FIRST thing for you to tell us, Ben!" Gwen agreed.

"Relax. I was given these glasses by some other Plumbers when I told them the situation. It has special stuff built in that reflects most of the light away from our eyes." He pushed one pair of glasses onto his nose and opened his eyes. Sure enough, the blinding light was gone and he now had a clear view of the prism-like planet. "Here." He pressed a pair of glasses into both Kevin and Gwen's hands before moving to the window.

Gwen opened her eyes and let out a gasp of awe. "Wow...it's beautiful!" Now that the painful rays were gone, Gwen could clearly see the thousands of colors that the crystal surface created. She could also see four moons surrounding the planet from all sides.

"Huh. This looks interesting." Kevin admitted as he looked at the rainbow, glassy surface of Fulguro. He pulled back slowly on the levers, bringing the Rustbucket to a soft landing. He peeked out the window. "Where is everyone?" He could see the uneven crystal ground stretching for miles. Not a thing moved.

"Why don't we get out and look around." Gwen suggested. "I'm sure they're expecting us."

As they got out, their feet clicked on the glassy earth. The sky above was silver-blue streaked with gold. The light hit the ground around them, making it sparkle. A thousand tiny fused crystals reflected a thousand different colors that changed every time they moved. At first, there was only silence. Then, they could hear a delicate tapping noise. They turned to see a white figure trotting toward them. Its fur was a shade of white that they never would have thought possible. Its ivory hooves were small and cloven. Its tail was long, ending in a length of fur similar to a lion's tail. Its large mane rippled as it ran. From its forehead protruded a long horn. As the creature drew closer, they realized that the horn was spiraled and was reflecting the light like a prism. It walked up to Ben. Its head barely reached his chest. It looked up. One of its eye was shining silver while the other was brassy gold.

"Ben Tennyson?" The voice was light, like the sound of wind moving through chimes. Still, it had a masculine undertone.

"That's me." Ben looked down at the mismatched eyes and the sharp crystal horn. 'Huh...he doesn't look like the type to be a match for Aggregor...then again, if there was a bunch of them...'

"My name is Prince Corus. May I escort you to the valley?" He pawed the ground, emphasizing the formal invitation.

"Yes, please." Ben nodded his head. Prince Corus turned and started to walk back the way he came, his light hooves hitting the ground like a pebble on glass.

Gwen, Ben, and Kevin exchanged glances before following. As they approached the edge of what looked like a deep hole, they all let out gasps of surprise. Spread out underneath them was a valley whose size rivaled the Grand Canyon. Filling the valley was a vast forest of trees with dark blue, foil-like leaves. The trees were broken every here and there with patches of sparkling water and shimmering turquoise grass. Tiny white dots could be seen moving around below. Prince Corus's eyes were glittering proudly.

"Welcome to the Valley of Iubaris."

As Kevin followed Gwen, Ben, and Prince Corus down the steps that took them into the valley, he was overcome with a feeling of serenity. The air was warm, but carried a pleasant breeze. The light reflecting off of the scenery held a level of beauty previously unknown to Kevin. 'Well...' He corrected himself. 'Unknown in all but one circumstance.' His eyes fell on Gwen's fiery hair and a soft smile came to his face.

Gwen's eyes and mind were focused completely on Prince Corus. She didn't know what it was, but she felt this...attraction to him. It was almost as if his aura was meant to click with hers. Judging by the flicker of his ears and the way his left eye kept casting a silver light in her direction, he was feeling something similar. 'What could it mean?'

Ben turned toward the Fulguran Prince. "Were you the one that Aggregor was targeting?"

"I am the one he attacked." Corus admitted. "I am grateful that my friends were nearby, otherwise I don't know what would have happened." A tremor moved across his glimmering fur. "That creature...he was a monster to rival your race. No offense intended."

"To rival...what do you..."

"We're here." Corus said quickly. Their feet brushed the turquoise grass, causing a ripple of light to move away from where they stood.

"It's beautiful..." Gwen whispered softly. Up close, the foil leaves looked more like patches of a glowing night sky. The trees themselves were multiple shades of scarlet, dark violet, and amber. She felt something warm wrap around her middle as Kevin gently wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned instinctively into him, feeling a sense of serenity spreading through her chest.

"Finally..." Kevin murmured softly. "Surroundings that are almost worthy of you." He quickly nuzzled her cheek before following Ben and Corus.

…...

_Life on the red colored planet, Mars, needs to end. The atmosphere needs to fail now. With a blow of air from the mouth of one of the forgers, it does. It already failed. Mars has always been burning. It is the red planet. It was always the red planet. There was never any life._

_Never._

_Constant._

_Always._

_Silent._

_Loud._

_And the bellows continue to blow..._

**You know, Aether is actually a synonym for Void. What do you think of Fulguro? I made it up myself! Now, my fellow Gwevin lovers, I can promise you a sprinkle of Gwevin in each chapters. The levels will vary from subtle to obvious fluff. I'm loving where this story is going! Are you? Reviews are love! The Gwevin Prophet will now retire to watch the Birdcage. Later!**

**PS- Keep looking for Caleovigor, people! You won't find it by Googling it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**OMG! This episode was the BEST EPISODE EVER! It had just the Brotherly Bevin I was picturing, down to Kevin thanking Ben and Ben calling Kevin his big brother! It had our second Gwevin kiss! It had awesomenesss! It's official...I have an alter-ego on the writing staff. It's the only explanation for all of these predictions coming true. Now for the things I didn't like... Number 1: Ripjaws. DAG NABBIT! I was all excited to see an old favorite, then I saw that they GAVE HIM FISH LIPS! What the flip happened to those awesome jutting fangs? What, did Ripjaws get braces or something? FAIL! The other thing I didn't like: Ben's IDIOCY! I mean, REALLY! How hard would it have been to have given Kevin the map before running back to Aggregor? And the dude died anyway in GRIEF! I was literally yelling at the TV, telling Ben to just run for it. Why didn't he just grab the guy and go while they were still THERE? *pant* Well, enough ranting. You're not here to hear me rant. You're here for Aether. One thing: I'm just gonna make a minor change. Aggregor has found all of the map pieces like in the series. I'm too lazy to create new ways for him to find them as it isn't relevant to this story. Let's just say he has them. Other than that, I'm not gonna adjust this to fit the series. Whatever happens next episode, this story is gonna run the course I previously chose. Kay? Let's start.**

_The cube planet is being created by the time traveler. It is created. It has always been there. The time traveler isn't there. He never was. The piece of the map to the Forge has always been there._

_The planet is named Perplexahedron. Someone is entering. They have entered. They are there. The alarms have been going off for infinity. The piece of the map is gone. It was never there. A dweller of the Forge raises a shadowed hand, letting the planet drift off. The planet was always in pieces. It never was._

_The midnight-blue fire grows. The flecks of light that dot it spread further and further apart. It is the year 7863 by Earth reckoning. A Forger touches a finger to a single spot, leaving the mark of a new star. It glows bright and red, pulsing with life._

_For an instant, the Forger feels a warmth in its chest. Such a beautiful little star, one that one touch created. Had created. It has always been there. The Forger has always been gazing at it, with an almost fatherly affection. Then, another log is added to the fire as the Forger turns away. He had never looked at the star. He was always facing one way._

_Growing...ever growing..._

…...

They were sitting in a copper grove, surrounded by emerald and cobalt barked trees. A circle of Fulgurans were all around them, lying in the grass, heads and ears turned attentively toward their prince. Prince Corus, along with Ben, Kevin, and Gwen, was in the middle of the circle by a pool of icy water.

"So, tell me what happened exactly." Ben said, looking down into the water like Corus, not quite sure what the unicorn could be seeing in the clear depths.

"I was having a drink in this very grove." Corus touched his nose to the water and shivered. "All of a sudden, a giant hand lifted me up. He had awful red eyes and an unnatural blue face. I could feel a tug on my forehead. My energy was leaking out. I could see my light beginning to go into him. Then, my friends arrived. I blacked out after that. They tell me that they were able to chase him away."

Gwen was trying her hardest to listen to Corus's words, but she could feel herself becoming overcome with that odd feeling that had first come over her when they had arrived: A sense of attraction and completion. This time, however, she could feel it coming from every direction. It made her head pound. 'What is this?'

Kevin frowned, his brows furrowing. 'So he was trying to absorb the Fulguran light... But he already has P'andor's fire... What else could he want? Was Gwen's Void theory wrong? Does he maybe want more power?'

"It's getting late." Corus looked up at the brass and cerulean sky. "Perhaps you would like to sleep here tonight and speak again tomorrow?"

"This is late?" Kevin blinked in confusion, staring up at the sky. "How will we sleep in this light?"

"I assume your ship can be closed off." Corus said with a shrug of his pearl shoulders. "If you wish, we can send some bedding up there for the two of you."

"That would be-Wait, the _two_ of us?" Ben tilted his head. "Am I supposed to go somewhere else?"

"No." Corus said simply. "You and the Osmosian will sleep in the ship if you wish." He turned his head toward Gwen. "I would be honored, my Lady, if you would consider sharing my quarters tonight."

This took Gwen by surprise. "I...huh?" She blinked a few times in confusion before regaining her composure. "That would be-"

"A complete no-no! Sorry, your Highness." Kevin took a step forward and placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder, his eyes shooting daggers at the slight, horse-like creature.

"Kevin!" Gwen scolded, glaring over her shoulder. "Don't be rude." She turned back to Corus. "May we have a moment?" She grabbed Kevin's arm and dragged him a little ways toward the edge of the grove, Ben following. Even as she walked, her chest ached at the thought of moving even a foot away from Corus.

"Maybe you didn't hear him." Kevin growled, his fingers twitching with agitation. "He asked you to sleep in the same room as him!"

"Kevin, something tells me that they don't have rooms." Gwen rolled her eyes. "Honestly, what do you think can happen?"

"I dunno but I don't like it." Kevin muttered, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"I think he's jealous!" Ben piped up from where he was standing.

"Shoo, Ben." Gwen waved her hand dismissively before turning back to Kevin. "He's a horse, Kevin. I highly doubt he's trying to make a move or anything." 'Those aren't his thoughts...I can feel it...' The two-way magnetic feeling seemed to be growing stronger by the minutes.

"You never know..." Kevin's expression turned dark. His thoughts wandered back to the old stories the had heard about unicorns. Sure, most of them spoke well of them. Still others told of their ferocity and their tendency to skewer people with their horns. Some of them had to be based on fact, right? 'I don't want to find out which ones are true tonight...'

Gwen breathed a sigh. "You're so overprotective..." She stood on her toes and pressed her lips soundly to Kevin's. He let out a small "Mmph!" of surprise before relaxing against her. When she pulled away, he had that adorable dazed expression on his face. Seeing it made Gwen want to immediately decline the prince's offer and go to sleep on the ship snuggled up against Kevin. That thought was shattered almost immediately as she became intimately aware of the pangs of longing pulsing from the nearby Fulguran's whole being. She knew she couldn't deny him. "I'll be fine, Kevin." She whispered, stroking his cheek. "I can take care of myself. Just go to the ship with Ben and I'll see you in the morning."

"I'll probably see you later anyway..." Kevin muttered, his will to fight weakened by his post-kiss dulling of the nerves. 'Why does she have such an affect on me?' "It's so light out here, I doubt you'll get much sleep otherwise."

"If that happens, you'll be the first to know." Gwen nuzzled his chest affectionately before backing off. "Go on and get some sleep, Caleovigor."

"You know, I didn't see that word in the Anodite listing."

"Check the Latin section. It should be there." Gwen smiled sweetly. "Now go to bed."

"Okay..." Kevin was still reluctant. 'Calm down, man.' He told himself as he and Ben turned and headed toward the ship. 'She's right. She can handle herself.' Still, thoughts of how these small creatures had been able to overpower Aggregor filled his mind and his sense of foreboding increased.

…...

Gwen ducked her head as she followed Corus through a tunnel of glittering lavender bracken. Eventually, the space widened and grew higher until Gwen was able to stand up straight, her red hair brushing the branches. She was in a room of thickly woven wood and reeds. The ground was padded with soft burgundy moss and the temperature was quite cozy. A few rays of gold/silver light shined through the gaps, allowing Gwen limited vision.

"Amazing..."

Gwen turned toward Corus as he spoke, his voice soft and calculating. "What is?"

"You." The prince's cloven hooves made no sound on the soft ground as he moved closer to her. "I never thought I'd be so lucky..." He seemed to be speaking mostly to himself.

Under normal circumstances, Gwen would start to feel uneasy. This time, however, she felt completely at ease. His words and peculiar manner didn't bother her at all. Following an outer compulsion, she knelt to the ground in front of him so they were at eye level. Corus's mismatched eyes drifted closed. He bowed his head, touching his prism horn to her chest, right over her heart. Gwen closed her own eyes. She could feel everything. She could feel his vibrant life force as if it were her own. With every beat of her heart, she could feel herself drawing closer and closer to that soft ivory fur. The horn moved up as Corus placed his head on her shoulder. Gwen wrapped her arms around his snowy neck and held him close. He was nice and warm...

Slowly, the two shifted so that Gwen was lying on the moss, one arm draped across Corus's back. Corus snuggled up against her and laid his head protectively across her shoulder blades. "A maiden..." He whispered softly to himself. "So this is what the stories mean..." He nuzzled her neck gently, smiling to himself as she cuddled against him. 'Such a simple creature...yet so perfect...'

…...

"Caleovigor..." Kevin flipped through the Latin section of the Encyclopedia. "Caleovigor..."

"Kevin, would you give it a rest?" Ben moaned. They had drawn the blackening curtains over the windows but Kevin's glowing hand held computer was _really_ interfering with Ben's sleep.

"I just...Aha! Found it!"

Beep, beep, beep.

The Ultimatrix suddenly started beeping. Ben looked down as the form of Azmuth appeared. Kevin put his device down and moved closer.

"Ben Tennyson. I see you are actually in the right place for once."

Ben got a mock hurt look on his face. "You know, it doesn't kill someone to say 'Hello.' or 'How are you?' or maybe, 'I'm going to give you a straight answer for once.'..."

"Now's not the time for such things, Ben Tennyson." Azmuth cut in impatiently. "Tell me, did Aggregor take one of the Fulgurans?"

"No. They chased him off before we even got here!"

"I see...well then it's too early to give you any congratulations."

Kevin pouted. "Oh that's nice! We fly all the way up here and get-"

"You need to make sure Aggregor doesn't take a Fulguran. These beings are the purest light aliens in the universe. Their power in Aggregor's hands would be disastrous."

"What's the news on the Forge?" Ben asked.

"Well, after you failed miserably to keep the last piece in your possession for over a minute..." Ben winced. "Aggregor disappeared. He hasn't been in the Forge yet. We believe he is trying to become still more powerful, to assure he can fight the Forgers."

"Paradox said Aggregor needed two things. What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it says." Azmuth stated calmly. "Though I'll have to think on what the other thing is... Anyway, I am here to tell you to go back to Earth."

"Huh?" Kevin blinked. "But you just said-"

"The Fulgurans are clearly capable of taking care of themselves if they stay in groups. One of you should stay behind to spread the word. The other two need to go back to Earth, because there is a lone Fulguran that lives there. If Aggregor learns this fact, it could be disastrous! Leave first thing tomorrow." Azmuth's image flickered and vanished.

Ben looked up at Kevin and shook his head. "What are the odds that he'll ever call just to say how awesome I am?"

"Probably lower than the odds of me wearing pink." Kevin said, his voice completely serious.

…...

_The walls of the forge are made of many different colored stones, all overlapping and melding in a way that no other building materials can. Most of the colors cannot be seen by the human eye. The Forgers can see them all, when they look. When they always look. Then they look away. Always away. The colors are forgotton._

_The fire continues to blaze._

_And the bellows continue to blow..._

**The Forge of Creation in the series had better be half as good as the one I made! Did you like this chappie? Hope so! I was thinking...do you think the Forgers are Celestialsapiens? It would make sense... Anyway, I was just thinking about what happened during the episode. My mom was watching and I was reminded once more of how limited her knowledge of the animated world is. When Ben went Cannonbolt, Mom came in and said: "Why's there a Pikachu?" I just stared at her and said: "Mom...even you should know that that is NOT a Pikachu!" I then proceeded to explain the difference between Cannonbolt and Pikachu. I think it was all lost on her... She pretty much compares any animated creature from my TV shows to Pikachu. She has always hated Pokemon...so she compares any show she thinks is stupid to it... Ah well. No one's perfect. But really...Cannonbolt looks NOTHING like Pikachu! Fail... Anyway, see you all! ^_^**

**PS- I got a correct guess on Caleovigor! The meaning will be announced later on and the cookies will be awarded!**


End file.
